TanaArticles
Ideas and practical notes for keeping stock in order, whatever you look after.
AI inventory management: ask ChatGPT or Claude about your stock
Connect ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Cursor to Tana. Ask what is running low, find where an item is, and update stock in plain words.
Cycle counting vs. annual stocktake: how to set a count schedule
Cycle counting checks part of your stock on a rolling schedule instead of one annual stocktake. How it works, and when a full count is still right.
Dead stock: what it is, how to spot it, and how to get rid of it
Dead stock is inventory that stopped moving. Learn how to tell it apart from slow-moving or seasonal stock, spot it early, clear it, and stop making more.
Dental supply inventory: a list that survives a busy day
A dental supply inventory that stops gloves and anaesthetic cartridges running out mid-chair, without over-ordering everything else.
Event equipment tracking: get everything back after load-out
Event equipment tracking for AV crews and venues: packing lists per event, what came back missing or broken, and consumables that don't run out mid-show.
Institutional catering inventory for school, hospital and care-home kitchens
Institutional catering inventory for school, hospital and care-home kitchens: dry store, cold room and freezer stock, plus reporting to the administration.
Do you need a barcode scanner for inventory?
Barcode scanner for inventory, or just your phone? When a handheld or Bluetooth scanner earns its cost, and what to test before you buy one.
Multi-location inventory: keeping every site's stock straight
Multi-location inventory management for teams with more than one site, storeroom or vehicle: how to model where stock sits and move it between sites.
Reorder point: how to know when to reorder each item
A reorder point formula with a worked example, how it differs from par level and minimum stock level, and how to set and revisit thresholds.
Tool tracking for construction and trade teams: vans, sites and toolboxes
Tool tracking for electricians, plumbers and builders: keep van stock and job site inventory straight, and get every tool back when a job wraps up.
Vacation rental inventory checklist: supplies, linen and amenities
A vacation rental inventory checklist covering linen, guest amenities and cleaning supplies, built so an owner and a cleaner can both keep it current.
Inventory management on Linux: what works on Ubuntu, Fedora and other distros
Most inventory software only installs on Windows. The three ways to manage inventory on Linux, what each one costs you in effort, and how to pick one for a team.
Types of barcodes: 1D vs 2D, which to use for inventory, and how to scan them free with Tana
EAN, UPC, Code 128, QR Code, Data Matrix and more compared, which to put on your own inventory labels, and how Tana scans all of them free from a phone or a browser.
How to make barcodes for a small business: internal labels vs. retail barcodes
How to make barcodes for a small business: when you need a registered retail barcode, when your own QR labels are enough, and how to set up either one.
Why Excel won't work for inventory management (and when it still does)
Excel is where most inventory tracking starts, and where it quietly breaks once a team shares it. The seven limits of spreadsheet inventory, and how to move on.
Free inventory management software: how to choose one, and what free plans leave out
How to choose free inventory management software: the criteria that matter, the limits free plans hide, and how to test an app before your team relies on it.
Inventory handover: how to pass on stock management without mistakes
Handing over inventory at a shift change, a role change or when someone leaves? Avoid the common handover mistakes with a checklist that keeps stock on track.
Short-staffed? How to manage inventory with a small team
Running stock control with fewer people? Share the numbers, record changes where they happen, and count smarter to cut stocktake time without adding staff.
iPad inventory management: when a tablet beats a phone or a PC
Is an iPad inventory app right for your team? When a tablet beats a phone or a desk computer for stock counts, receiving and shared stock control.
How to organize office equipment and supplies (and keep it organized)
Workplace organization tips that last: give every item a fixed home, zone and label storage, clear what you don't need, and keep the supply cupboard tidy.
What is property inventory management? How to keep track of the equipment and assets you own
Property inventory management means knowing what equipment you own, where it is and what state it is in. How to build an asset register your team keeps current.
How to reduce inventory costs: where the money actually leaks
Inventory costs rarely come from one big mistake. See how overstock, stockouts, duplicate purchases and searching time drain money, and how to stop each leak.
Restaurant inventory management: a simple system and app your kitchen will keep up
Restaurant inventory management that survives a busy week: par levels, FIFO, a short stocktake routine, and what a restaurant inventory app should do.
Seasonal inventory: how to stock up for peak season without leftover surplus
A practical guide to seasonal inventory: when to build stock before a peak, how much to hold, and how to wind down so you are not left with surplus.
How to simplify inventory management so anyone on your team can do it
Simplify inventory management by tracking less, giving every item one home, making each update a single step and sharing live stock numbers with the team.
Stock count sheet: what to include and how to run a count with it
What a stock count sheet should contain, the columns worth keeping, and how to run a calm, accurate stocktake with it on paper, in a spreadsheet or in an app.
How to track inventory for free: 5 methods and a setup that works with any of them
Five free ways to track inventory, from pen and paper to a free app, plus a simple setup for items, units, locations, counts and reorder points.